Library District Extends Thank You for West Las Vegas Community Feedback

BY KELVIN WATSON | Executive Director, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District

On behalf of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Board of Trustees and the Library District Staff, I want to offer our sincere thank you to all those who participated in our Community Planning Meeting on March 21. The goal of this meeting was to hear from you — our valued library customers — regarding your ideas and feedback on a proposed new, larger library building to serve the West Las Vegas community.

Panel of Experts

At the meeting, an expert panel shared the Library District’s early vision for this exciting library of the future —detailing the new types of programs, services, special collections, and equipment that we would like to offer.

The panel included UNLV Libraries Historian Claytee D. White; Las Vegas City Councilman Cedric Crear; SUMNU Marketing President Shaundell Newsome; KME Architects Principals Emanuele Arguelles and Melvin Green; and Library District representatives Board Trustee Dr. Keith Rogers; Executive Director Kelvin Watson; Library Operations Director Leo Segura; and General Services Director John Vino.

In-Person Feedback from Participants

Community members who attended the meeting in person were able to vote for their favorite new programs and services on our Activity Boards, which were on display in the lobby. They also asked insightful questions, which gave us even more perspective. I am happy to report that approximately 120 community members attended the meeting and 97 people livestreamed it. Additionally, more than 200 people have viewed the archived video of the meeting’s proceedings on the Library District’s YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/waSpFNRv77Q, and I invite you to do so as well.

Community Questionnaire

We also distributed a detailed questionnaire at the meeting, and sent emails to library cardholders in a two-mile radius around the existing library. Some sample questions included:

● What does your dream library look like?

● What type of makerspaces would you like to see?

● What services are important in a Business & Career Center?

● What would you like to see in your event center?

● What would you like to see in your outdoor space?

I am happy to report that we received 220 completed surveys, which are being recorded and evaluated. The results will be included in the final Programming Document, which will guide us in our planning of the new library building. This document will become the blueprint for KME Architects as they design the space needs within the library. It will outline physical components such as furniture, lighting, play areas, study areas, new technology features for children, teens, and adults, and so much more. It will also examine the future facility’s requirements and the adaptability criteria needed to serve the community’s needs for the next 20 years.

In the next several months, we hope to move forward on conceptual designs. This is where the new building’s form and function will come together, along with the types of interactions and experiences that we want our customers to enjoy!

As we make progress on this project, I promise to keep you informed and will share with you details as they are confirmed. On behalf of the Library District, I extend my sincere thanks for your engagement with this process.